Students step up to the crease

Learners from South and City College Birmingham are offering their building skills and services to local cricket clubs.

The college and the Warwickshire Cricket Board, which is based at Edgbaston Stadium, have agreed a partnership through the ECB NatWest Cricket Force Programme that will allow construction students to gain work experience, while giving a helping hand to cash-strapped community cricket clubs.

Ed McCabe, the board’s development manager, said: “This partnership is the first of its kind in Birmingham but I think it will be mutually beneficial . . . Some small cricket clubs find it hard to raise the funds for expensive renovations.”

Mike Hopkins, the college principal, said: “We understand that employers are looking to hire people with experience under their belts, and we know the importance of getting our students great work experience to help them to get jobs when they leave college.”